Project Clearinghouse

Bicycle planning seminar

Sustainability Problem and Proposed Solution: 

Transportation accounts for nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions in Santa Cruz. The dangerous state of the city’s roads is a key barrier to cycling, meaning that most residents continue to drive. This class will design protected bike lane and similar projects to improve safety and make bicycling more attractive.

Jump to: Contact | Project Description | Funding Sources | How to Join | Metrics for Success | Results
Project Categories: 
Awareness, Education & Engagement
Transportation
Project Status: 
Completed
Project End Date: 
03/27/2020
Campus Organization: 
Carbon Fund
Affiliated Department, Unit or College: 
Environmental Studies
Project Location: 
Both on and off campus


Protected bike lanes in Vermont. Why not Santa Cruz? Photo: City of Burlington


Stakeholder Contacts: 
Contact NameEmail AddressContact NumberDepartment
Adam Millard-Ball
adammb@ucsc.edu
831 459 1838
Environmental Studies
How to Join: 
Contact Prof. Adam Millard-Ball if you are interested in the class.
Funding Sources: 
Carbon Fund

Project Description: 

This project promoted greater bicycle use and safer streets in Santa Cruz by developing plans for protected bicycle lanes on key corridors. It has three primary goals:

• Create the momentum to improve bicycle infrastructure on city streets, giving people the confidence to bike instead of drive for short trips
• Improve safety and mobility for students and others in the city, particularly those who cannot afford a car
• Provide an experiential learning opportunity for UCSC students, through immersing them in a practical, design-based urban planning project

These goals were achieved through a new undergraduate class, Bicycle Planning, in Winter 2020. Students worked on team projects that apply the principles in progressive bicycle design manuals (e.g. NACTO) to design protected bike lanes on three key streets in Santa Cruz:

• Coolidge Drive (the UCSC Main Entrance)
• Bay Street (from the UCSC Main Entrance to the Rail Trail)
• 17th Avenue

Metrics for Success: 

Whether the projects are implemented.

Result Categories: 
Infrastructure/Built Environment
Data Collection & Analysis
Results: 

The project reports are available at greentransport.sites.ucsc.edu.

Resources
Related Websites: 
Transport and environment lab